1 June, Minsk /BELTA/. Housing and utility services for the public in Belarus have become more expensive. This decision is contained in the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of 28 May 2012 No. 486 "On Amendments to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of 4 February 2011 No. 138", which comes into force on 1 June of the current year, the press service of the Belarusian government informed a BELTA correspondent.
The document was adopted for the phased increase in the level of reimbursement by the public of the costs of providing housing and utility services. According to the document, the tariff for thermal energy for heating and hot water supply will be Br60,140 per Gcal (previously - Br53,773 per Gcal), for cold water supply services - Br900 per cubic meter (previously - Br585 per cubic meter), and for sewerage - Br550 per cubic meter (previously - Br305 per cubic meter).
Now, the payments for a family of three living in a standard two-room apartment with a total area of 48 sq.m, including heating, will increase by Br17,000, or by 8.6%, including Br10,000 for thermal energy for heating and hot water supply, and Br7,000 for water supply and sewerage services. The press service recalled that tariffs for the public for water supply and sewerage services had not been revised since February 2011. Thus, the cost of housing and utility services for a family of three living in a standard two-room apartment with a total area of 48 sq.m will be Br216,400 during the heating period and Br137,900 during the summer period.
The press service of the Council of Ministers emphasized that, taking into account the measures taken by the government to increase public incomes in 2012, the share of payments for housing and utility services in family incomes will not increase with the specified tariff increase.
The Belarusian government recalled that the calculations for the Law of Belarus "On the Republican Budget for 2012" provide for the reimbursement of 35% of the costs of providing housing and utility services by organizations of the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services system through public payments. Currently, the reimbursement level is less than 13%.
To increase the cost recovery of housing and communal services in the country, measures are being taken to reduce the cost of services rendered. Thus, based on the results of the first quarter of the current year, the costs of providing housing and communal services to the population as a whole were reduced by 10.5% in comparable terms compared to the same period in 2011, with a set target of at least 10%. Cost savings amounted to Br101.5 billion. At the same time, given the increase in the costs of providing housing and communal services for objective reasons, it is not possible to ensure the fulfillment of the established parameter for the level of cost reimbursement by the population solely through the reduction of service costs, the press service of the Council of Ministers emphasized.
BELTA